Substituting engineering plastic for metal in automobile component parts is one way to achieve reduction in the total weight of the vehicle. In a rack and pinion steering gear, for example, the weight of the gear can be reduced if the housing is fabricated of engineering plastic instead of die cast aluminum or alloy. However, because the housing is a load carrying member and, if the steering gear is a power gear, because it must also be impervious to hot, high pressure hydraulic fluid and resist internal scoring by rotating valve parts, an all-plastic housing may not perform satisfactorily. A rack and pinion steering gear housing according to this invention is a hybrid metal/plastic housing which achieves weight reduction relative to conventional all-metal housings while maintaining strength and durability and which is easily adapted for different housing configurations corresponding to use in different vehicle models.